Board signs off on controversial Clinton housing development

The plat for Olde Towne Village, to be located off of the Clinton Parkway, was recently approved by Clinton’s Board of Aldermen.

Kirkland Development is being allowed to proceed with a plan to build 94 single-family homes near the Clinton Parkway, as some neighbors continue to voice concerns over stormwater and traffic issues. The Board of Aldermen voted 5-1 on January 7 to approve a preliminary plat for Olde Towne Village.

“At this point, we’re going to move on with the development,” said David Ash, an attorney representing Kirkland following the Board meeting.

It was the second time the City had been asked to approve a plan for the 42 acres. On November 7, a proposal to rezone the land for mixed-use was defeated, even though the Board voted 4-3 in favor of it. Because nearby property owners had objected to the rezoning, a fifth vote to approve the request was required. The zoning change would have allowed Kirkland to sell commercial lots along the Parkway, with single-family homes in the middle of the development and townhouses at the rear.

“We want to work with the City,” Ash said. “However the City wants to develop this, either way, is good with us. And we’re ready to get started [with] the next steps. We’re hitting the ground running.”

Ward 4 Alderman Chip Wilbanks made the motion to approve the preliminary plat but admitted that the mixed-use proposal which failed would have been “more palatable.” It would have provided a single access point into the development from the Parkway while the new plan calls for traffic to enter and exit via the Parkway and through the Kentwood neighborhood.

“We’ll continue to look at that,” Wilbanks said.

Ward 1 Alderman Jim Martin said he voted against the plat because he’s “not comfortable” with approving those two access points without further study. And while he admits that some changes could be made in how to handle the traffic, he said, “Ordinarily, the final plans are pretty close to what the preliminary one was.”

According to Ash, having two ways in and two ways out makes sense.

“[For] a subdivision like this, usually you want two entrances. That’s not just for access for the people there, but [also] that’s for safety precautions, emergency vehicles getting in and out, things like that. If everything went to the Parkway, that’s not ideal. If you direct everything through Kentwood, that’s not ideal.”

Ash said having two access points “doesn’t overload the Parkway and doesn’t overload Kentwood.” Still, though, some neighborhood residents believe any additional traffic on their narrow streets will be dangerous.
And there’s another worry among those who live in the area– that the development might aggravate their existing drainage problems.

Homeowner Joe Price believes a stormwater runoff control plan should have been addressed earlier.
“I know that property – the contours of it, how it drains, where the water goes,” he said. “And it’s going to be a mess.”
Wilbanks said he understands what the neighbors are talking about.

“The residents of Kentwood have really voiced, I think, legitimate concern about prior water issues from [previous construction],” said Wilbanks. “This developer has promised that they’re going to take that into account and, hopefully, improve the situation.”

And Wilbanks suggested that, in addition to the possibility of promoting better drainage, Olde Towne Village could have another positive impact on nearby neighborhoods.

As Wilbanks puts it, “I think that the people from Kentwood and the surrounding areas need to [consider] that we’re going to have a really nice subdivision with brand-new homes right there that I think will increase their property values significantly.”